


Smokes

by Starofwinter



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: GFY, Gen, Mentioned Fives/Tup, Post-Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 10:11:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7044130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starofwinter/pseuds/Starofwinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We're all alive.  That's a dream."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smokes

By the time Rex finds him, Fives is at the furthest edge of the farm, staring out over the lake with a cigarette in one shaking hand.  “Got any extras?”

The ARC passes one over, offering a lighter as well - it’s engraved with the phrase _We the unwilling, led by the unknowing, doing the impossible for the ungrateful._  It’s a phrase Rex remembers from the war, usually from the lips of bitter veterans, not the kind of things that usually came out of Fives' mouth.   “Didn’t remember you smoking, sir.”  Fives’ voice has a distant quality, like wherever he’d disappeared to, he still wasn’t back yet.  Not a flashback, he knew that much, but… gods all, what had happened to the kid?  “A lot of shit I don’t remember though.”

“Special occasions,” Rex says, sitting down next to him to watch the sun set over the water.  A full tour of the galaxy, and he can’t think of a single place quite as gorgeous as this.  

Fives laughs, but it’s tired and sounds like sandpaper.  He doesn’t look over yet, but he sounds a little more present as he asks, “What’s the occasion?”  There’s a faint touch of his old smile on his lips, and that gives Rex a little more hope.

The former captain smiles and rests a hand on the back of his neck.  “Got you and Tup back, that’s about all the reason I need, vod.”  His heart breaks as Fives slumps sideways into his chest, clearly desperate for any touch he can get.  

“Fuck, it’s good to see you, sir.”  The relief in his voice only twists the knife in Rex’s chest.  Where in nine hells had his brother  _ been _ for the last two years?  “I-I’m sorry, about- what happened.  I just needed you and the general to listen, there was something wrong with my chip, something-  They  _ did _ something.  You got yours out, didn’t you?”  He’s a kriffing stuttering mess, and Rex tightens the grip at the back of his neck in a grounding gesture.  It’d worked for countless troopers, and it seems to still work on Fives, who calms down enough to take another long drag off the cigarette, still keeping himself pressed against Rex's side.

“Yeah, I got mine out.  Wolffe too.  We- we think we’re the only ones who did.”  He didn’t mention all the shit that had gone down in between finding out about the chips and getting them out, or how it’d almost been too late, but… “You’re a hero, Fives.  You were the first one to see that kriffing Palpatine was a slimy bastard.  We -  _ I _ \- should have listened to you.  I’m sorry, vod.  I’m so sorry.”  

Fives finally looks up at him, and there’s no judgment in his eyes.  “Sir, you don’t understand.  This-  This is the best I could have hoped for.  You got out, and so did Tano, and Wolffe, and Kix and Jesse, and Cody.  Tup is _alive_ and he _found me_.  We’re all fucked up, but we’re alive.  That’s… that’s a kriffing dream.”  His smile, shaky and shadowed as it is, rips a hole in Rex’s chest, and he has to put out his cigarette to pull his brother into a crushing hug; they cling to one another, missing pieces fitting back into place, and Rex doesn’t say a word when Fives pulls away to scrub a hand over his cheeks roughly.  “Really damned missed you, Captain.”  
“Hells, Fives,” he growls, and he grins at the surprise on his brother’s face, “Think it’s about time you call me Rex.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely happy with how it came out, but I've done all I can.


End file.
